Answers:
Thaeonblade: I didn't want to rely on padding, and I thought the 'Do you want to become one with me?' scene from the TV show was stupid, so I didn't include it.
Dr. Dude: I read Vengeance, and it was a good read, but it didn't match Yui's characterization from the TV show. She's shown as a very good, female foil to Gendo's god complex. I decided to play up the 'Good Mom' style for the future 'Gendo meets Yui again' scene.
Fanus: My answer to Dude actually fits here as well.

Disclaimer: See Prologue
Chapter 24: Politics

Somewhere Over the Arctic Circle, 23000 Feet

Kaji had a passenger at the copilot's controls of his Be-200, and they made their way to Europe to give his report on the Fourteenth Angel to the UN.

"I just can't get used to flying fixed wings. I always think to pull back on the controls to go forward, like the Eva joysticks."

"That's why I'm the Pilot in Command. Just remember: If you pull the stick back, the houses get smaller. If you keep pulling the stick back, the houses suddenly get very very big very very fast!"

"Ryouji, that's the dumbest joke I've ever heard."

"But it's also completely correct, Mari. The behavior of your plane is usually a side effect to what you do with it. For instance, moving the throttles up doesn't immediately make us go faster. The turbines act like a flywheel, and they have to spin up to a higher rotation speed before the jet engines create more thrust. The control surfaces stir up the air around us, they don't actually change our position. Pulling back on the controls forces the tail of the plane down in a vortex of air, and the side effect is that we start climbing."

"In the Eva, we just point our heads in a direction and we go there. So much simpler."

"And that's why flying will always be inherently cool, even after the Evas are decommissioned. Now, go open the case behind us, I have a present for you."

Mari left the crew cabin and opened the sealed suitcase in the passenger compartment, where she found a disassembled marksman rifle and several cartridge boxes.

"...Ryouji! You got me a SCAR 17! With a 4.8X scope? I never knew you cared!"

"Well," He laughed, "I know chicks dig SCARS, and I specifically brought you along because I need a bodyguard while we're in The Hague. SEELE isn't happy in the slightest with either me or the Commander, and I need protection before I give my report. That plugsuit of yours is woven with dozens of layers of Kevlar. It can handle anything but a shot from an assault rifle; I'm not so well-armored, am I?"

"While I certainly love big guns, Ryouji, isn't this a bit overkill for a bodyguard?"

"If SEELE decides to 'retire' me, Mari, they're going to send professional hit teams. Body armor, explosives, the whole shebang...I need help from somebody better equipped than they are. To note: Armor Piercing 7.62, ACOG, and a bipod. Have fun with it."

"What's SEELE's deal, anyway?"

"Instrumentality. It really is one of the dumbest concepts I've ever uncovered. The old bastards want to kill everyone on earth and then resurrect us as immortal spirits...No, I'm not making that up."

"Sure, sure, anybody can destroy the earth, how do they plan to resurrect us?"

"By capturing the final Angel and using it as their servant to create a human-controlled Impact."

"And they really believe that it'll work...wow, that actually scares me."

"Unfortunately, SEELE has NERV by the balls, right now. That's why it's up to you, me, Misato, and the pilots to be the ones to stop them."

Evangelion Storage, NERV HQ

"What do you mean Unit-01 is going on ice?"

"Shinji, the Commander ordered Unit-01 to be immersed in bakelite as soon as we got you out. It's just too unstable, it's gone berserk on three occasions so far."

"And? Unit-01 is too important! Unit-01 has-" he almost slipped his tongue.

"Has what, Shinji?"

"Never mind. Unit-00 and 02 are still too damaged to fight, Misato!"

"Unit-02 is being repaired as we speak. Asuka is going to be released, soon. It appears that the psychologists say that she's coming to terms with her past and her hostility. They're getting her counseling and putting her back on reserve duty after she gets a reactivation test. Rei is still active, she just waits until Unit-00 is fully repaired. Until that happens, you two get some time off. She should be getting discharged from medical, right now, so this is the perfect opportunity to take a mini-vacation with your beautiful girlfriend!"

"MISATO!"

= Is lashing out and creating pain seriously the only thing I ever do? I've never had a friendly conversation with Shinji or Wondergirl...I insult and attack them both...I guess I can see why he wants nothing to do with me. Every time he did something nice, I interpreted it as him being a sleazy pervert; Rei just blushes and acts appreciative...no wonder he chose her. =

Asuka slowly drifted through the hospital's discharge area. The counselors she had been assigned to had done good work influencing Asuka to confront her hostility as opposed to being a victim of it. The questions they asked her were so simple that the answers were obvious and embarrassing when they asked her.

= "Asuka, why are Shinji and Rei your enemies?"

"They're so good in the Eva, without even trying!"

"Then it doesn't work out very well for the Angels, does it? Why does it bother you?"

"I don't need them to fight!"

"So what, then? Are you saying that you're an individual?"

"YES!"

"This is a military organization, Asuka. We don't have space for 'individuals'. You are part of a team, with Shinji and Rei as your squadmates. You don't have to like them, but will not be allowed to mistreat them and continue piloting."

"You wouldn't dare take Unit-02 from me!"

"If you are unwilling to fight alongside them, you will have to be replaced. The animosity you show them has no place in the squadron."

"They have it so good! Shinji's dad is the Commander! Hell, the Commander has standing orders telling the entire base to answer Rei's every beck and call! I had nothing like that! I had to watch as my family collapsed! My father went with another woman and my real mom killed herself! I hate them!"

"So? Why do you even care about their lives? Your jealousy is making you weak, Asuka. You know that you can't take your hatred out on your parents, so you attack Shinji and Rei. If you need to blame somebody for your past, why not blame the people who left you behind?"

"Because I love my mother! And my father, too!"

"That doesn't mean that they aren't responsible for what's happened to you. Shinji and Rei haven't done anything to make your life harder or worse; your parents did it for them."

"...Do you just expect me to start being best friends with those two?"

"No, we expect you to have some civility and cooperate with them, nothing more."

"...If I can bring myself to that point, when do I get Unit-02 back?"

"You will have a reactivation test after this session ends." =

"They're only letting me do this if I promise to be nice to Wondergirl." The thought repulsed her, but it meant she was going to be at the controls of an Eva, again. She made her way to the locker rooms and started dressing in her plugsuit. = What pervert designed these things, anyway? They don't leave a single curve to the imagination! =

"Do you come here often, Shinji?" He brought Rei to the highway overlook outside of Tokyo-3, and they were seated on the grass together as they watched the panorama of the city.

He thought of the times he came out here before. "I do whenever I need to think. Misato first brought me out here after Unit-01 beat the Fourth Angel. I came back after Misato chewed me out when the Fifth attacked. And then a third time after I fought Touji and Asuka."

"Why would Colonel Katsuragi attack you? You eliminated the Angel, correct?"

"She accused me of being reckless and disobedient. She was right, of course, but she failed to realize that I won. We had a falling out and I left for a few days. That was back before you and I had even really met..."

"What made you decide to return to NERV, then?"

"I didn't have much choice. I couldn't make it to my old Sensei's home, so I came back, destroyed Misato's argument, and started trying to get to know you."

"You mean you stumbled into my apartment while I was showering."

"I've been trying not to think about that, Rei! I'll have you know that I haven't done anything to make myself look like as much of an idiot since then."

"I know that, but I enjoy watching your melodramatic overreactions to the embarrassing coincidences you find yourself involved in."

"...Did you just make a joke at my expense?"

"Am I speaking too intelligently for you, Shinji?" She answered, with upturned lips and one raised eyebrow.

"Rei...was that...sarcasm...?"

Rei climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shinji tried- and failed -to act cool and collected; Rei watched his face panic and felt his heart racing. She leaned her ear against his chest, listening closely before answering him seriously.

"I am socially isolated, Shinji, not stupid. I understand humor, satire, and wit."

"But, hearing it from you is kind of shocking..."

"I was never allowed to talk to other people with any variety. Commander Ikari did not want me building relationships, I was only to pilot Unit-00 and provide dummy plug research. When we started regularly spending time together, I decided to reject those orders, but I still need experience in social situations."

He got his composure and held her at her waist. "That only makes me hate my dad even more."

"Spending time with you has shown me that I cannot hate the Commander, despite the things that he has done to me. I pity him, and I pity his desperation. I do not feel hatred for anyone, be it the Commander, Soryu, or Dr. Akagi."

"What is it that Ritsuko doesn't like about you, anyway?"

"She sees me as competition for Commander Ikari's affection. I say she can have it."

"So that rumor about the affair-"

"It is true, Shinji, and Dr. Akagi must be in denial that people don't already know about it."

"Dr. Akagi really is screwed up if she's chasing the Bastard. There's an image that I'll never bleach out of my head."

"What made you bring me with you, today?"

"Um, well, Misato told me since we're going on standby to take you out-"

"So you are only spending time with me because you were ordered to?"

"Rei! I'm sorry! Of course I wanted to spend my time with you, I just didn't know where-" He saw that she was smirking up at him. "Wait, you aren't upset. You're making fun of me again!"

"It is good to see that you learn quickly, Shinji. I am perfectly content doing whatever you want while we are inactive."

"We pretty much have an entire week, at least, until Unit-00 is back online, is there anything you would want to do?"

"Is it not the boyfriend's responsibility to be aware of the girlfriend's interests?"

"...You pilot a giant robot, train harder than I do, you read subjects that I can't comprehend, and listen to classical music. I know more about you than I do myself, Rei, but none of those are particularly good subjects for a date."

"What would you do, Shinji?"

"I don't know...there really isn't anything that I'm interested in..."

Rei slid away from Shinji and hardened her face. "...I suppose you really do know me better than you know yourself. That disappoints me, Shinij. You say that you have no interests, but you are a gourmet chef, a skillful musician, you practice two martial arts while I only train in one, you are capable of matching wits with me and Soryu, and you are currently NERV's greatest pilot. You appear to be something of a renaissance man, Shinji, yet you think so lowly of yourself. You crave praise and appreciation yet you reject it when it is given to you...why?"

"I don't reject praise, Rei, what gave you that idea?"

"You were officially commended by the German State Department, and you ignored their documents." She produced a medal from her bag and leaned over to pin it on Shinji's shirt. "You left their award in my apartment after you resigned from NERV. You would not even accept gratitude for defending Pilot Soryu's life. I admire your humility, Shinji, but your adamant refusal to see the good that you do for others is either selfishness or cowardice, and I will not allow you to continue with either. You are brave, Shinji, in the Eva Unit and outside of it. You are kind, and you are talented in multiple artforms. But, for reasons that I am not aware of, you continue to act as if these are negative traits; this disgusting self-loathing that you cannot seem to overcome will consume you, Shinji-"

She was cut off of her analysis and deconstruction of Shinji's warped self-image by a pair of lips encircling her own.

He pulled away quickly and stuttered out an apology. "Rei! I'...I'm sorry I didn't...m-mean to-"

"If you didn't mean to, then why did you do it?"

"...Because nobody has ever dressed me down like that while still defending my name. I know that I'm not a complete loser, but I've never been shown what I'm good at, before...I tend to just think that I do enough to get by with..."

"You do more than what is needed for many individuals every day, Shinji. You give more and ask for less. I have always wanted Commander Ikari's approval because it made me feel valued and valuable. Now I know that I should only want to earn the approval of people that I myself already value. It was you that made me realize that I needed to raise my standards by which people should be viewed, because you continue to exceed them. Shinji?"

"Uh y-yeah...Rei?" He answered when he remembered how to speak.

She climbed back onto his lap and leaned against his chest. "Kiss me again. This time, do not let your fear break through you."

He brought his eyes up to hers. = They're such a beautiful shade of red. = She was the first girl he had ever been on a date with. He had no idea what he was doing. Neither did she, but that thought never revealed itself to him. He leaned in to her face, twisted slightly so their lips would couple together, and followed the instincts he didn't know he had.

"The activation test had to be delayed? Why?"

"Asuka, somebody switched the core for Unit-02 while we weren't looking. It was either a really dirty prank or somebody tried to reassign it without Germany's approval. It might be the result of the unauthorized activation while you were in treatment. Your core is in LCL storage, so it isn't an instance of theft, but you have to sit tight before we can get you back on duty."

"Are you telling me that you people let somebody tamper with MY Unit-02!?"

"We didn't 'let' anybody do anything. The unknown pilot masterfully forged an IPEA core change form, took Unit-02, locked NERV's command bridge from communication, and fought the Fourteenth Angel. Said pilot then ejected and hasn't been found. You go ahead and get to the entry plug catwalk; we'll hold you there until the core swap is complete."

"Gentlemen of the United Nations Security Council, good afternoon. In addition to my personal appearance, today, I have submitted: Photographic evidence of the combat scenario, video recordings taken by Japanese and Private military forces, written statements from on-scene individuals, and postmortem opinions from tactical and scientific experts. The events during the previous weeks' combat with the Fourteenth Angel has left the NERV organization's combat capabilities crippled until their facilities and Evangelion Units can be repaired and the pilots are cleared from medical treatment-"

"It was Ikari's incompetence that left NERV a smoking crater!" Some voice amongst the delegates shouted to Kaji, at the speaker's podium.

"If incompetence were at fault, Mr. Representative, then NERV would have been completely destroyed and everybody in this room would be dead. If I may continue; the adversary that they faced that day was the Fourteenth incarnation of the extraterrestrial beings known as Angels. They focus their attacks on Tokyo-3 to reach a dead member of their race, buried miles underground. If they were to reach this point, the being would resurrect and, this is not an extrapolation, destroy every living organism on this planet. NERV has been successfully repelling the invaders since the Fourth Angel arrived in the Sea of Japan-"

"If this 'dead Angel' is such a tempting target, why not get rid of it?"

"It's not exactly easy to kill something that's already dead, is it? NERV's purpose is to prevent the resurrection of the Second Angel, a role that they perform admirably."

"And they sent you out here to ask for what, Money?"

"Time, actually, and maybe some gratitude. NERV's current budget allows them to repair Units 00 and 02, but they do need the support to repair their facilities and infrastructure."

"And what of the mysterious 'Unit-01'?"

"This is where my report gets interesting. The Evangelion Units are synthetic, semi-sentient living weapons. Though they are incapable of high cognition- hence the need for a human pilot –they do have a native sense of self-preservation. This instinct reveals itself in the Evangelion's 'Berserk State,' where it begins fighting on its own to protect itself and its pilot. Unit-00 has gone berserk twice, both times in testing- not combat. Unit-02 has gone berserk essentially once, fighting against the Fourteenth Angel, where it was still eventually overpowered. An enraged, berserk Evangelion Unit couldn't kill it on its own. This is the example of the raw destructive power of the Fourteenth's attack. Unit-01 has had three fights where going berserk saved it. First, against the Fourth Angel after the Pilot was injured, second against the Eleventh, where it went berserk to escape a trap that the Angel set for it, and finally, against the Fourteenth, where it took the efforts of all three Evangelion Units to destroy it. Unit-01 went berserk to defend itself, and then shut itself down into a dormant state because it felt that the pilot inside was in danger. Said pilot was eventually released at the point that lead scientist Dr. Ritsuko Akagi estimates was the point that the Unit felt that First Lieutenant Ikari was safe and healthy."

"How long was the pilot trapped?"

"Approximately two weeks."

"Two weeks without food or water?"

"The environment inside an Eva Unit's pilot compartment is designed for life-support. He didn't need food or water."

"That's all well and good, Inspector, but how do we know that it won't happen again."

"Dr. Akagi is attempting to suppress the Evangelion's protective instincts for its pilot. Until then, Unit-01 is being taken off of combat and Units 00 and 02 are going back on after they are repaired."

"Captain Soryu, have you established life support and radio contact?"

"Yes, Doctor Akagi."

"Good then, lower the entry plug and begin monitoring pilot sync."

Ritsuko's voice called over the radio to the facility. "All personnel! Unit-02 reactivation! Repeat, Unit-02 reactivation! Begin A-10 Neural Network Connection! Detach Restraining Bolts! Attach External Power Supply!"

"Power connection complete, Unit-02 is powered on, Doctor." Hyuga confirmed.

"Pilot vitals are normal, no mental abnormalities, Doc." Aoba continued from the medical terminal.

"Doctor, we have a problem. Asuka's sync began at 30%, but it's decaying. 22% and declining!"

"Okay, Maya we aren't going to tell Asuka until we determine the cause, understand?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"DR. AKAGI! All connections have crashed! Power is off, radio and A-10 net connections are down!" Hyuga shouted the sudden development.

"He's right!" Maya continued. "Pilot sync just crashed to 0%! Asuka's just sitting in there!"

"Remove the plug! Manually if you have to! Get Asuka out of there!" = What the hell is happening to her? =

Misato, Ritsuko, and a team of medics rushed to the opened plug to see Askua shivering in a fetal position at the controls, whispering to herself. "it rejected me. it doesn't want me. it doesn't need me. why doesn't anybody need me?" Misato climbed to her side in the plug but was slapped away when she tried to hold her.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE MISATO!" Asuka broke down, loudly crying.

Misato moved back to Ritsko. "What do we do about this?"

"She'll have to go under another mental examination then be put under surveillance. She has no physical injuries, and no mental conditions that we've been able to uncover. If she has a clean exam we'll send her home with you, but Section 2 will be watching her 24/7."

"Damn. She went through so much to get back in Unit-02...I'm sorry, Asuka." She looked down at the broken girl in the entry plug.

"Ryouji, I must say, you did an excellent job!"

"Well, lying is exactly what I do best. The good news is that the report is just close enough to the truth for the old men to buy it."

The pair were getting a light lunch at a cafe outside of The Hague Center for Justice when they saw a handcuffed man being led into the building. They both recognized the gray hair and brown dress jacket.

"Ryouji!" Mari interjected in a hushed tone. "That was-"

"Our Professor. The Bastards must have plucked the tired old man right from his bedroom to fly him out here. Mari, get to the rental car. Your weapon and my supplies are in the trunk. SEELE just made a huge mistake."

"Right." She ran to their nearby car and opened the suitcase in the back. She assembled the SCAR and shed the elegant business dress she wore to Kaji's presentation, revealing her plugsuit underneath. = Hey, this is the first time I've shucked my dress for a man! =

She also found Kaji's FN Five-seveN, an armor vest with holsters and ammo pouches, magazines, and several SWAT flash and smoke grenades. = There really isn't anything Ryouji can't get his hands on, is there? = She sprinted back to Kaji's location and split the toys up amongst them. Mari belted the rifle and Kaji shouldered his handgun and they followed the direction that they saw the professor being taken. Kaji dialed his phone.

"Misato, get Ritzy on the line with you...SEELE's taken the Professor hostage and they brought him to the UN Summit. Looks like they never planned on trusting my story from the beginning. Launch an attack from the MAGI on The Hague Center for Justice. We need every password broken, every door unlocked, and every camera and security turret on our side. We've seen him being taken in, and we're going to get him back."

Across the world in Tokyo-3, Ritsuko Akagi abandoned her current task of attempting to get Evangelion Unit-02 to accept its pilot and changed to using the base's supercomputer cluster to overpower the security at the European conference center.

Kaji and Mari grinned when they watched fire alarms go off and emergency doors open at the building. Having the world's most powerful military supercomputer on you side can make your day much easier. They sprinted in as Misato returned Kaji's call.

"Kaji, the building has four basement levels with conference rooms that can be quickly repurposed for interrogations. The building has armed security; mostly vested guards with sidearms, they can handle robberies or bar fights, not much worse. The MAGI's attack has caused their security systems to go haywire, the guards are split up between trying to restore the systems and looking for intruders. When you get inside the building, find a staircase and go down!"

"Great, have Ritsuko keep causing chaos down here."

He and Mari sprinted to the nearest fire stairwell and moved down. They ran into the first basement floor and found a cubicle farm full of panicked and soaking wet employees, fire sprinklers going off above their heads. Mari snuck into a corner office and grabbed a sportcoated middle-manager around the neck.

"Hi, I'm an insane sixteen year old girl. If you don't answer me, I'll make this really hurt! A bunch of UN pricks just brought a friend of mine down here to interrogate him. Where might they take him?"

The terrified manager saw the rifle on a sling on her back and decided to answer as best as he could. "We-we have, uh, soundproofed offices on the third basement floor! If I wanted to hurt somebody, I'd use one of those!"

"Oh, why thank you!" She smiled sweetly before hugging the confused and terrified man then turning around and running back to the staircase.

"So, ever been part of a hostile takeover, before?" Kaji was chatting up an attractive secretary while Mari handled her little question and answer session.

"Ryouji, would you stop being distracted by her legs and get going! Fuyutsuki's probably being held on the third basement level! We need to get there, NOW!"

"Fine! You're even needier than Asuka was, Mari."

They skipped down two floors in the emergency staircase and were welcomed by a squad of JSDF special forces in the third sublevel.

"I think we found the place!" Mari shouted as they jumped away from gunfire. The JSDF forces were well-armed, but they could still be blinded by the light. Kaji tossed a flash grenade and Mari started shooting, the SCAR's heavy, armor-piercing rounds not bothered by the vested soldiers. Kaji moved forward with Mari's powerful weapon covering him. He stepped into each room, handgun raised as he swept them for life, until he reached one office at the end of the hallway. He felt the door locked, so he put several rounds into the door hinges and kicked it away, only to take a shot from a revolver into his vest. He was knocked flat onto his back as the UN interrogator left the Professor's side and walked up to Kaji's disoriented form and lowered his weapon to stop the rescue attempt.

A shot flew across the corridor and the interrogator collapsed.

Mari walked up and started berating Kaji, who was stretching and getting to his feet. "Really, Ryouji! How old are you getting! I can't believe that you of all people let yourself get shot! We were here to help the professor, not to drag your dead ass out of here!"

"Yeah, next time you get to breach the door, Mari. How are you doing, Professor?"

"SEELE isn't going to like seeing their errand boy jumping sides, Inspector."

"It won't be the first time I've pissed off my bosses, old man. You injured?"

I'm fine, really. You saw me before they could get any questions in. Thank you both. Your lovely friend is the surviving Unit-05 pilot, isn't she?"

"Pleased to meet you, old man. Mari Illustrious. We need to get back to the airport as fast as we can." They shook hands before making themselves scarce.

Low Income Housing, Tokyo-3

"I enjoyed our first date, Shinji. Your special place was welcoming."

"Thank you, Rei. Have I earned a second?" He asked as he walked her up to her apartment.

"Would it be humorous if I invented some arbitrary reason to string you along for months and years?"

"...You've been talking to Misato behind my back, haven't you?"

"Maybe I have." She raised one eyebrow at him. "I believe that we can continue dating. Ask me again, soon." She stretched up and kissed him lightly as she returned home, leaving him stunned and dumbly smiling before making the trip back to Misato's.

= I can get used to that. =

When he made it back to Misato's apartment, he found her crying in Asuka's room.

"Misato! What's wrong?!"

"Asuka...she left!...she...angrily quit...ran away." Misato answered between sobs. "The mental attack...destroyed her ability to sync...she left after...her failed reactivation test!"

"Misato!" Shinji hugged her and helped her to her feet. "Where did she go?"

"The Horaki family has her, right now. I guess that she'll be okay there, but...god, Shinji I love Asuka too! I don't want her gone-"

Misato's phone rang, Shinji answered. "Kaji?"

"Key kiddo, Misato around?"

"Well...yes, but she isn't doing too good."

"Put me on speaker...Misato, have a security detail sent to NERV's air base. Mari and I got him! We have the professor. Listen, when we arrive, come see me there...I have an important question that only you can answer."

"...Kaji...It's no good..."

"What do you mean?"

"Asuka...she left after she failed a test in Unit-02-"

"Do you have teams searching for her-"

"I have a message from a friend of hers. She's not hurt or anything."

"I'll find her and talk to her when we get here. Meanwhile, rest. I couldn't have done this without you and Ritzy."

A/N: So i decided to mix up things for the 'Kaji saves Fuyutsuki' arc (Mari is a badass) and the 'Asuka can't sync' arc.